Two-tone air whistle



Patented Oct. 28, 1952 TWO-TONE AIR WHISTLE Joseph L. Bonanno, Madison,N. J., assignor to The Lionel Corporation, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application November 6, 1948, Serial No. 58,660

7 Claims. (01. 177-8) The forming the resonating chambers and air chestI and wherein such plastic body is supported from metal elements whichform parts of the motor unit. According to the present invention, apreassembled motor unit having the usual field and armature and carryingthe impeller is employed as a support for the resonating chambers andair chest, thereby making it unnecessary to rely upon the light weightplastic parts for purposes of support.

The present invention is particularly Well adapted for two-tone airwhistles and when made up in the form of two-tone air whistles, suchwhistles employ a plastic body having two resonating chambers and achamber for the impeller, the resonating chambers are covered by plasticmembers cemented in place and the air chest chamber is covered by aplate which forms part of the motor unit.

Where the device is one adapted to be controlled by a relay, the relayis according to the present invention, conveniently carried on one ofthe covers for a resonating chamber.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustrating the presentinvention, an

embodiment in which the invention may take form, it being understoodthat the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limitingthe same.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top elevational view of the complete whistle unit withrelay;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view showing the motor unit, the relayunit and the component plastic parts separated;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the plastic body; and

Figure 5 is an inverted plan view of the mounting plate and impellerforming part of the blower unit.

A convenient form of blower unit is illustrated in the drawing. It has ametal plate H! and field structure I field windings l2, brush rigging|3, armature |4, armature shaft l5, and radialbladed impeller I6. Thismotor unit may be completely pre-assembled and tested. Where the whistleis to be of the remote control type used in toy railroads, it may employa relay 20 similar to the relay shown in the Giaimo patent abovereferred to and in my prior Patent 2,155,343 of April 18, 1939.

The plastic body for the whistle is shown generally at 30. It is made inthe form of a plastic molding and is of generally rectangular shape asshown in the drawing. The bottom 3| has a central opening 32. Side walls33 extend upwardly from the periphery of the bottom 3| and immediatewalls 34 extend across the, body on opposite sides of the hole 32.Portions of these Walls 34 are cylindrical as indicated at 35, 35. Thewalls 34 are connected to the walls 33 at the end only, so as to leave adischarge opening 36, 36.

The outside walls 33 are provided with lipped openings 31 just beyondthe discharge openings 36. On the right end of the molding 36, itisprovided with partitions 3B and 39 and at the left end it is providedwith a partition 40.

The plastic molding 3|) is provided with a stepped recess 4| shown inFigure 4, above and to the right of the opening 32, and a laterallyopening recess 42 diagonally opposite. Openings 43 and 44 for screws arebelow the recesses. The plate ||l forming part of the blower unit has atapped stud 44 adapted to enter the opening 43 and a tapped lug 45adapted to enter the recess 42. Screws 46, 46 extend through the holes43 and 44 and are threaded into the lugs 44 and 45 so as to secure theplastic body to the metal plate It). This metal plate forms a cover forthe central portion of the plastic body, and when the motor unit is inplace the impeller |6 is in the air chest formed by the central chamber.

The right resonating chamber is covered by a plastic plate 50 preferablycemented in place. This plate is in the form of a bracket and has anupwardly extending element 5| adapted to support the relay 26 by a screwindicated at 52. The resonating chamber at the left is closed by a smallcover 53 also cemented in place.

The metal plate ll] of the motor unit is provided with two tapped holes54 and 55, Fig. 2, adapted to receive screws 56, whereby the entirewhistle unit can be secured to an extraneous support such as 51 withoutimposing any strain whatever on the plastic parts.

In operation, the energization of the relay effects the closing of thecircuit for the motor. The motor operates the blower and produces ablast of air which enters each of the resonating chambers so that atwo-tone whistle signal is produced.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other formsand constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to beunderstood that the particular form shown is but one of these forms, andvarious modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwiselimit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is: g

1. In a two-tone air whistle, a resonator comprising a molded plasticbody having upwardly extending peripheral side walls, a bottom wallclosed except for an inlet opening, and transverse walls located onopposite sides of the opening to form a central chamber and two endchambers, "the transverse walls extending from one side Wall nearly tothe opposite side wall to form discharge openings from said centralchamber, the side walls beyond the discharge openings having lippedopenings opposite the discharge openings, plastic plates covering theend chambers, and means to cover the central opening.

2. In a two-tone air whistle, a resonator as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe transverse walls are in part cylindrical to cooperate with the rotorof a centrifugal blower in the central chamber.

3. In :a two-tone air whistle, a resonator as claimed in claim 1, havingpartitions in the resonating chambers to increase the length of theresonating a'ir column.

4. A two-tone air whistle comprising a plastic body having tworesonating chambers, each having a closed bottom and continuous sidewalls exapertured bottom wall, a blower unit having amounting plateclosing the top of the intermediate chamber'and an impeller in theintermediate chamber, and plastic closure plates for the resonatingchambers and cemented to the plastic body.

5. An air whistle adapted for mounting to an extraneous support,comprising a power unit including a fiat mounting plate, an electricmotor secured to one face of the plate and having an armature shaftextending through the plate, an impeller carried by the shaft, and aplastic body secured to the mounting plate, the body having a chamberabout the impeller closed by the plate and provided with an inlet andtwo outlet openings forming a wind chest, and two resonating chamberseach communicating with an outlet opening and having lipped dischargeopenings, the mounting plate having mounting devices for securing it tothe extraneous support.

6. An air whistle comprising a power unit including a mounting plate, anelectric motor secured to one face of the plate and having a shaftextending through the plate and an impeller carried by the shaft andhaving radial blades, and

a molded plastic whistle body secured to the mounting plate and having achamber closed by the mounting plate, side walls shaped to fit about theimpeller and air inlet opened opposite the end of the shaft and adischarge opening, and a second resonating chamber into which thedischarge opening communicates, the second chamber having a side wallwith an opening adjacent the discharge opening, and a molded plasticcover for the second chamber.

7. A Whistle unit for toy trains comprising a motor operated blower unithaving mounting brackets for securement to an extraneous support, amolded plastic body secured to the blower unit, the body having tworesonating chambers closed except for lipped openings and 'a blowerchamber communicating with the resonating chambers and having an airinlet opening, and relay unit for controlling the motor and carried onthe body.

JOSEPH L. BONANNO.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Giaimo Jan. 31, 1399Number

